10/1/2019 The difference between NPT, BSPP and BSPT seals

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The di erence between NPT, BSPP and

BSPT seals

Pressure systems in the process industry use different ways of sealing depending on the geographical region,
size of the pressure system and the environment. There are regional differences in sealing types as well as
industry preferences. For example, many pressure systems onboard ships use BSPP adapters while many
applications in the oil and gas industry use NPT fittings. While one sealing style is not inherently better than
another each style has its application.

NPT Connections
NPT (National Pipe Thread) seals are
the most popular type of seal for
pressure calibration systems in the
U.S. and Canada. NPT male adapters
have a taper thread that wedges
into the female NPT adapter. They
seal due to the "out of roundness
principle" which means that the
male stretches the female fitting
until there is so much force that the
connection can hold pressure. One
of the challenges with this design is
that if you connect stainless steel to
stainless steel then over-tightening or poor lubrication can cause gauling and damage to the threads. Thread
sealant is needed to seal but only 2 turns of thread sealant is required. Any more than that and the seal can
leak around the thread sealant. Ralston Instruments has a wide variety of male NPT adapters
(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/npt-male-qt) , male Quick-disconnect NPT adapters
(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/npt-male-qd), male NPT calibrator adapters
(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/npt-male-qt-pressure-calibrator), female NPT adapters
(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/npt-female), female NPT gauge adapters
(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/npt-female-qt-gauge) and female Quick-disconnect NPT gauge adapters
(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/npt-female-qd).

BSPT Connections
BSPT (British Standard Pipe Thread) is similar to NPT except there are important differences. The angle across
the flanks of threads (if you sliced the fitting in half long-ways and measured the angle from root to crest to
root) is 55 degrees instead of 60 degrees as it is for NPT. Another important difference is that for many BSPT
pipe sizes the thread pitch is different than NPT. Thus an NPT male will sometimes fit into a BSPT fitting or vice
versa but they will not seal. This is a popular fitting in China and Japan but is very rarely used in North America
unless the equipment to which it is attached was imported. Thread sealant is needed to seal the male and
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female fitting together. Ralston Instruments has adapters to both male BSPT adapters
to our use of cookies. Learn more on our privacy policy (/privacy-policy).
(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/npt-male-rt-qt) and female BSPT adapters
(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/bspt-female-rt-qt). I Understand

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10/1/2019 The difference between NPT, BSPP and BSPT seals

BSPP
Connections
BSPP (British Standard Parallel Pipe)
is most popular in the UK, Europe,
Asia, Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa. It is a parallel thread
fitting that uses a bonded seal ring
to do the sealing. This bonded ring
seal is sandwiched in-between a
shoulder on the male fitting and the
face of the female fitting and is
squeezed in place. BSPP pressure
gauges have a longer male thread
and use a copper crush washer that
is squeezed in between the bottom
of the male fitting and the bottom
of the female BSPP hole forming a
pressure tight seal. No thread
sealant is needed to form a seal.
Ralston Instruments has male BSPP
adapters

(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/bspp-male-rs-qt) , female BSPP adapters

(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/bspp-female-rg-qt), female BSPP gauge adapters
(http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/bspp-female-rg-qt-gauge), and female BSPP Quick-disconnect gauge
adapters (http://www.ralstoninst.com/adapters/bspp-female-rg-qd).

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to our use of cookies. Learn more on our privacy policy (/privacy-policy).

I Understand

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